Guard finger and ledger plate



13, 1924., 1,494,308 'C. F. HQVER V Y GUARD FINGER A131) LEDGER PLATE Filed Feb. 21 1924 Patented May 13, 1924.

U NH SF TES M94308 PATENT orifice.

. cmnns r. HOVER, or connanfmomeua.

GUARD FINGER AND Lnnenn. PLATE.

Application filed February 21, 1924. Serial No. 694,368.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in agricultural machines and particularly to those machines in which the cutting mechanism include guard fingers and ledger plates. p

I l The principal object is to provide a novel and improved form of guard finger, wherein th ledger plate may be securely held without the aid of screws orrivets.

Another object is to provide a ledger plate which is capable of being easily and quickly inserted in the guard finger, or removed therefrom,-and which will remain firmly in place. 7 i

0 her objects and advantages will be apparent; from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Iiithe drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevationv of a guard finger showing the ledger plate in position therein.

. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figurei2.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 1 with the ledger plate and spring removed.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents the body of the guard finger which has the upwardly and rearwardly extending guard member 11, which lies over the table portion 12. In the transverse rib 13, at the rear of the ledger plate supporting table portion, there is formed a seat14 the opposite side walls of which are fiaredor diverge in the direction of the table portion, and are underbeveled, as shown at 15. In the point of the guard finger, at the forward. end of the table portion, there is formed a socket 16, having longitudinal guiding grooves 16 in'its opposite sides, andmounted within this sock- .et is a coil spring 17 The ledger plate comprises an elongated and tapering flat body 18, on the forward,

on-smaller end of which is formed a forwardly extending and centrally arranged nose 19, and said nose being adapted to pass into and engage with thespring 17, while the adjacent edges of the plate are positioned for sliding movements within the longitudinal guiding grooves, the plate being reduced in width at this point, as shown at 20. Thus the springis snugly housed and protected against sand and other foreign matter. The wider end of the ledger plate is cut off obliquely, at the corners, and then beveled, as shown at 21, the oblique portions and the beveled face'softhe same, are formed to snugly fit within the seat 14, and engage with the underbeveled side walls of the opening.

When setting the ledger plate in place the operator inserts the nose 19 into the end of the coil spring and then pushes the plate forwardly, tocompress the spring, and disposes the rear end of the plate forward of the rib 13, after which he presses the plate down onto the table portion 12, and permits the spring to force the plate rearwardly until the beveled portions engage beneath the beveled side walls of the seat 14. When the plate has been thusgdisposed, it cannot become displaced until "it is pushed forwardly against the tensidn of the spring 17, and the rear end disposedforwardly of the rib 13, when it will be in position to be lifted from the finger.

Formed in the rib-13,. beneaththe' rear end of the plate 18, is a rearwardly opening socket or recess 22, within which may be inserted the smaller and of a punch, nail or like device, for the purpose of prying against the rear end of the plate to force same forward to a sufiicient distance to release its beveled faces from beneath the beveled walls of the opening 14.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple and eflicient device wherein the ledger plate is capableof being securely held in the guard finger without the aid of screws or rivets. Furthermore, the plate maybe easily andouickly inserted in place; er removed, no special tools being required for inserting orjremoving the plate.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a guard finger of the conventional type now in general use but it will be understood that my improved construction may be so modified as to adapt it for use in connection with guard fingers of various types in connection with which ledger plates are used.

What is claimed is:

1. A guard finger having a recess and a seat, a ledger plate positioned upon the seat and projecting into the recess, and means within the recess for urging the ledger plate toward the seat.

2. A guard finger having a seat and a socket, a ledger plate carried by the guard finger and adapted for engagement within the seat, resilient means supported within the socket for holding the plate into engagement with the seat and grooves communicating with the socket for guiding the ledger plate.

3. The combination with a guard finger having a seat, of a tapered ledger plate having its wider end removably engaged in the seat, and resilient means carried by the guard finger and bearing against the narrower end of the ledger plate for urging the wider end into the seat.

4. The combination with .a guard fi r having an undercut seat and a socket, o a

I messes ledger plate having a, beveled ortiou it. mova-bly engaged with the un ercut seat, and a spring in the socket bearing against the forward end of the plate to urge the latter into the seat.

5. The combination with a guard fin r having a seat in its rear portion the side walls of which are underbeveled and a/ socket within the forward end in which is seated a spring, of a ledger plate having its forward end formed for engagement in said spring and its rear end formed for engagement with said underbeveled walls.

6. The combination with a guard finger,

having a rear transverse rib ,formed with a seat, the walls of which diverse forwardly and are underbeveled, and a socket in the forward portion of the guard, of a ledger plate having a nose on its forward end, a

LES F. HOVER. 

